This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No.60/162,689 filed Nov. 11, 1999.
This invention relates in general to garments worn by patients during physical examinations conducted by physicians.
When a physician conducts a physical examination of a patient, it is desirable to balance the physician""s need for access and the patient""s desire for coverage. In general, an examination can be best performed when a patient is comfortable with the procedure. To reduce embarrassment and maintain body temperature, various garments have been developed. These garments can be reusable or disposable, and can be formed from a variety of materials. Furthermore, various garments have been developed for specific areas of a body.
This invention includes a garment worn by a patient during a physical examination. The garment provides accessibility of various parts of the body while providing a satisfying amount of coverage for a patient. The garment includes an upper garment covering portions of the upper torso and a lower garment covering the pelvic region. The garment can be formed from any desired material as a disposable or reusable garment.
In a preferred embodiment, an examination garment to be worn by a patient during a physical examination includes an upper garment and a lower garment. The upper garment includes a first front panel, a second front panel, a rear panel having an opening for examination of a patient""s spine, and fasteners for removably connecting various points of the front and rear panels. The lower garment includes a waistband, a first front panel overlapping at least a portion of a second front panel, a front central panel overlapped by the first and second front panels, a rear outer panel, a rear inner panel having an opening overlapped by the rear outer panel, and fasteners for removably connecting the front and rear panels.